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Christine Sonntag

Professor Collin Hull

English 2010

23 March 2017

Beauty Pageants

Youve all heard the clich phrase, beauty hurts.

But to what extent? One of the biggest controversial

topics today is if beauty pageants are healthy or not for girls to compete in. The two sides to the

issue are simple: the good and the bad. Specifically, it enters the ideology that young girls age by

viewing their bodies unhealthily. While on the opposing side, innocent competition can aid the

child improve in different parts of their brain. I highly believe that the rivalry between girls to

see who the better girl really is proves nothing; there is no beneficial value to the struggle of

what beauty is deemed as.

Although there are cases where nothing goes awry, it does not take away from the amount

of cases that are harmful for these young girls. In the academic journal titled, Protecting Pageant

Princesses: A Call for Statuary Regulation of Child Beauty Pageants, William Pinsoff said that

concentrating on perfecting ones looks at such a young age unleashes[es] a whole complex of

destructive self-experiences that can lead to eating disorders and all kinds of distortion in terms

of body image. What may look fun and innocent for girls at a young age may actually prove

to be detrimental in their years to come. However, Andrea K. Clark, (a mother, professional

writer, blogger and aspiring journalist) says that letting girls compete in these competitions can

help in the ways to boost confidence, improve social skills, good sportsmanship, and even have a

chance to win prizes. My question is, when did prizes surpass the importance of eating healthy
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for the years to come?

While eating disorders and body dissatisfaction are not purely caused from former

childhood beauty pageants, it doesnt elude from the fact that it exists and has a higher chance of

causing these mental disorders. It is plastered everywhere that thin, tall, and fit is ideal. When

children are surrounded by daily reminders of this, it begins to pay a price. While the glamorous

life of a pageant girl is shown, the true emotion behind it is hidden. Martina Cartwright, a Ph.D.,

R.D. Author of Psychology Today's Child Beauty Pageants:What Are We Teaching Our Girls

said, Scant research has been conducted to see if former pint-sized beauty pageant participants

are more likely to suffer from eating disorders, not only that but, a small study published in

2005 showed that former childhood beauty pageant contestants had higher rates of body

dissatisfaction.

Two school girls posing with signs protesting children beauty pageants

These children are taught to cake their makeup on, put on a wig, fake teeth, flashy outfits,

and more in order to win a contest of who the prettiest is. And what for? A grand prize? Innocent

fun? A hobby? It is fun to win, but when a loss comes the only thought to cross their mind is that

they were not good or pretty enough. When that mindset stays, mental and eating disorders

come. To elaborate on the negative effects of beauty pageants, clinical psychologist Dr. Linda
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Papadopoulos stated, These pageants concentrate on the appearance of 20-month-olds! They are

being taught that their value lies in how they look. It says: This is the most important thing

about you. To be clear, these children are judged by the look they put on, not even their own

look. Its fake; not real. Just imagine the ways thoughts like those can twist a developing brain

into translating simple fun dress up to this is how I need to dress to win at life.
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Becoming a brand-new person is no easy task, It takes a lot of hard work and money.

According to the book, High Glitz: The Extravagant World of Child Beauty Pageants,

transformation is a related power. It also states, Their minds would conform to the image that

the costume represented. In this way, mind and body could be transformed. But what does this

mean? This means the person that looks back in the mirror is not the true person the children

want it to be. Of course, it is all fun and games until the hair extensions, eyelashes, and makeup

comes off. Who are they then? Could they still win a pageant even though now they are real?

This ruins a childs view of themselves not just physically but emotionally as well. Getting all

I am putting this text here Before and after pictures of Madison from TLC

dolled up for competitions can cause body dysmorphia which can really make a kid question her

whole position in life. No child should have to endure the pain of not being pageant worthy.

Though the cash prize and confidence boost a beauty pageant may have to offer, negative

factors also play a part on the child and family. As Sana Hassan said in The Psychological

Effects of Child Beauty Pageants, Children learn their values while they are young, and beauty

pageant participants grow up thinking that a woman's worth comes in part by how attractive they
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are. With that mentality, it is easy for the self-esteem of a child to drop, and to drop low. Hassan

continues by mentioning, While in the competitions, many girls are encouraged by their parents

to go on a crash diet to fit into small dresses. So, kids involved are learning unhealthy eating

techniques very early on in their lives which can only further contribute to the chances of them

acquiring an eating disorder later on in life. This is already a red-flag by teaching children at

young ages how to simply destroy their own image of themselves. They learn that they must lose

weight to look a certain way to win a grand prize. Children do not know what they are signing up

for, it isnt fair; they have no say.

Statistics showing girls' real thoughts on their body

It is no doubt that parents are not forced to raise their children in a certain way, but it is

important to allow them to know the facts and harmful effects of beauty pageants. If parents were

more aware of the everlasting effects of an innocent beauty pageant, then more thought would be

considered. But parents are fueled by money, prizes, and a good reputation. The fact that 10-

year-olds today struggle with eating disorders is fascinating; even at such a young age they are

expected to look and act like a woman. Now while the idea of child beauty pageants are
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beneficial for children exist, so does the opposite: ban child beauty pageants! Which is exactly

what needs to be done. These children are forced to go through endless pain physically and

mentally. (Hair extensions, heels, and fake teeth are not the most comfortable accessory items).

There is no guarantee to solving the growing problem of eating disorders, body dissociation,

depression, and more; however, there can be ways to slow down the problem.

A quick way to doing so is by banning child beauty pageants. If that is not a possibility,

they should be heavily monitored and based on the knowledge rather than the superficial looks.

Not only monitoring the way the girls are dressing, but also if they even seem like they want to

be in these pageants. Beauty pageants like these are an easy way for the parents to earn a little

extra money so maybe instead of cash prizes they could give out prizes specifically tailored for

kids. That way it is something the child actually wants to participate in and the parents cannot

take advantage of their beautiful children for selfish reasons. Another way that changing the

prizes up can help, is it could make the parents less competitive to where they push their child

too hard to where it is at the point of mental abuse. This will not completely eliminate the eating

and mental disorders, but it will surely lower the rate. The goal is to get the negative thoughts

people have as low as possible; remember, you need to start somewhere.

Works Cited

Bletchly, Rachael. Child Beauty Pageants - Innocent Dressing up or Sexualizing Young Girls?

The Arguments for and Against Mirror. 5 September 2012. Accessed 26 February 2017

Cartwright, Martina. Child Beauty Pageants: What Are We Teaching Our Girls? Psychology
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Today. Sussex, 1991-2017, Accessed 26 February 2017.

Clark, Andrea. Benefits of Beauty Pageants. Kids Formal. 2009-2016, Accessed 2 March

2017.

Lieberman, Lindsay. "Protecting Pageant Princesses: A Call for Statutory Regulation of Child

Beauty Pageants." Journal of Law & Policy, vol. 18, no. 2, Mar. 2010, pp. 739-774.

Hassan, Sana. The Psychological Effects of Child Beauty Pageants. Tremr. Accessed 2 March

2017.

Anderson, Susan. High Glitz: The Extravagant World of Child Beauty Pageants. Amazon.

Accessed 3 March 2017.